Fire-escape



(No Model.)

n.13.ANDERSW.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented May 6, 1884.

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WITNESSE ATTORNEYS Nrrnn STATI-:s

EArnNr @Erica CHARLES BINGLEY ANDERSON, OF MAYSVILLE, KENTUCKY.

"FI RE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 298,266, dated May 6, 1884.

Application tiled April 28, 1883. (No model.)

To aZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. ANDER- sON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maysville, in the county of Mason and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or iigures of ref erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a vertical crosssectional view, of my nre-escape. Fig. 2 is a -Vertical sectional view, and Fig. 3 is an edge view, of the same.

This invention has relation to rope fire-escapes; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of devices, as hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter c ldesignates the escape-rope, one end of which is attached to the rotary cylinder b of the traveler C, and the other end of which is provided with a strong snap-hook, d. The traveler C consists, mainly, of the parallel disks e and the rotary cylinder b, which is journaled in seats g of said disks. The disks e are connected at their margins by a series of transverse rods, It, which hold them in rigid relation to each other. To the lower portions of the disks are connected the arms of a yokebar, 7c, to which a sling or belt is designed to be attached. The disks,connected as above described, form an incasement for the escaperope,which is designed to be wound upon the body portion ofthe rotary cylinderb between the disks, which forma housing therefor. The upper end of the escape-rope passes through a bearing, Z, at the -upper portion of the housing, said bearing'being arranged as near the escape-rope, when in position, as possible. The upper or free end of the escape-rope is designed, when the escape is to be used, to be attached to some rigid or iirm fastening within the building in the neighborhood of a window, through which the traveler C, with the rope upon it, is passed, the operator having previously connected himself securely to the yoke of the traveler.

In order that the Operator may easily control the speed of the traveler C in the descent, a brake is provided. Usually a frictional form-of brake, consisting of disks, is employed. In the construction illustrated the rotary cylinder b is provided with a diskiiange, m, at each end, which is rigidly connected to the cylinder and rotates therewith. Exterior to each disk-fiange m is provided a disk-rubber, n, which is mounted marginally on extensions p of the transverse connecting-rods h, said extensions having heads at their extremities to form stops, as indicated in the drawings. The disk-rubbers n are loose on the extension-bearings p, and are centrally connected by a rod, r, having right and left threads at its respective ends. The rod is provided with squared bearings or splines to engage square or notched apertures in the disk-rubbers, so that the threaded rod cannot rotate in said apertures. At the same time the disk-rubbers have sufficient lateral play on the rod to enable them to be pressed against the cylinder-danges m. This pressure is accomplished by means of concave nuts o, having handles s, of any suitable form for easy manipulation, said nuts engaging the threaded ends of the central brakerod, 1". v

Vhen descending by the escape, the operator can easily regulate the speed of descent by turning the nuts, and thereby increasing or lessening the pressure of the disk-rubbers n against the disk-fiangcs m of the cylinder.

Instead of the disk-brake operated by screwpressure, lever-brakes may be employed, said *lever-brakes being pivoted to the housing, and arranged to clamp extensions of the cylinderat each end. y

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

isf In a portablefire-escape, the flanged cylinder having bearings in parallel case-disks, which are rigidly connected, the sliding diskrubbers connected to the case-disks, and having the central rightand left threaded brakerod, and the manipulating nuts engaging the brake-rod, and operating to ,'press the diskrubbers against the flanges of the cylinder, substantially as specified.

IOO

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 105 

